You've Got To Be Kidding
by Island Sweetheart
Summary: Mai's about to find more than what she was looking for and Joey's finally has a girl who fits him in everyway.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimers Note: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

Mai, Joey, Yugi, Tristan and Tea- 25

Serenity- 24

You've Got To Be Kidding Prologue 

Mai Valentine could still feel his eyes and could feel the warmth of that goofy smile when she met him at first glance. 

She had _liked_ it… And she didn't _like_ the fact that she did! 

Mai could feel the heat from his anger that was usually directed her way whenever she was around him… 

But then there were moments when she'd be so bewildered at his actions towards her that made her want to jump into his arms.

She still thought of him, though she knew he wouldn't give her a second glance. He probably thought her spoiled, selfish, and weak… well, maybe not weak. But she had other qualities! 

She was classy, beautiful, and recklessly dangerous, in a _good_ way. 

Mai huffed. Well he could just keep that smile to himself!

It's been quite a few years since she had seen him or his friends. But then, by some twisted miracle, she met her link.

Mai stepped off the bus in the middle of Tokyo City. As she did, there stood a brown haired, blue-eyed girl waiting for her with a familiar warm smile that always reminded Mai of someone who she couldn't put her finger on. 

Mai grinned, "Hey!" The girl laughed, waved and then hugged Mai. 

"Hey yourself! I'm so glad you came!"

Mai laughed, "I'm just glad that you found me in my time of need!"

Mai had a roommate back in Yokohama who disappeared for some unknown reason, left Mai on her own to pay for the loft they both shared. Mai couldn't afford to pay until she got a call from her brown-haired friend who said she had a place she could use.

"I can't believe you're here!" Mai exclaimed, "So how's life been treating you, Serenity?"

Serenity laughed, her blue eyes sparkling. "Just fine. I'm just a little tired from trying to get that room fixed. You'll meet your roommate since he is-"

Serenity was interrupted when a nearby bus blew a loud horn. Mai waved her hand for Serenity to move along and just get to the place.

They were really nearby the place so they walked there. 

Mai and Serenity had met a few months ago at a party in Yokohama. Mai didn't know her all too well but she knew Serenity could be trusted.  

"So who's my roommate?" Mai asked smiling at her Serenity.

"Oh, my brother!" Serenity sighed, "His roommate decided to elope with his girlfriend from France and leave my brother to mange the apartment himself."

Mai grumbled, "Sounds too familiar."

Serenity laughed, "Look, my brother is alright. Maybe a little rough on the edges but he's a great guy!" 

Mai nodded, "I don't mind sharing an apartment with a guy. Just as long as he doesn't bring strange girls in the middle of the might, I'm quite happy."

Serenity's eyes twinkled, "No worries! I know you'll keep him straight knowing you!"

"Damn straight!"

They entered a building that looked in good shape. As they neared upstairs and to the door, Serenity said, "It's number Forty-Three-Hundred. Just go on up there, okay? My brothers probably up there moving your things into the room."

Mai raised a brow, "Where are you going?"

Serenity waved a hand, "Oh, to get a spare key for you at the main desk downstairs. I forgot to get it before we came up here."

Mai nodded, "Okay." She then turned and went on. She made a right and then spotted Forty-Three Hundred at the end of the hallway next to a large window. The door was opened just a little. 

Mai knocked on the door to see a blonde man with his back turned, heaving one of Mai's heavy boxes of clothes on his shoulder. 

"Hello?" Mai asked out.

The man turned and Mai's eyes widened.

"Mai?" The guy asked as he placed the boxes down.

"You've got to be kidding…" Mai dropped her suitcase. 

Serenity came up next to her, "Oh! Joey, you're here! Joey, meet Mai Valentine. Your new roommate!"

 "You've got to be kidding." Joey blinked, his words echoing Mai's.

Thank you for reading! Thanks!

Island Sweetheart


	2. Chapter One

Disclaimers Note: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.

You've Got To Be Kidding 

Chapter One

After all these years, he still looked good! Damn it, he looked better! Mai's thoughts shouted out. 

Her thoughts were interrupted when Serenity said, "You two have already met?" 

Mai looked at the easy grin that crept on Joey's face. "You can say that," he said. "We met at the Duels Monsters Tournament during my freshmen year."

Serenity smiled, "Really? I guess you two will get along fine!" 

Mai said through gritted teeth, "Just fine." Just when she was trying to _forget_ him and there he was, standing in front of her shirtless and grinning all smug! 

Mai slyly tired to fix her clothes. She wore a short black skirt that ended mid-thigh, a dark-purple colored shirt that had a low V-neck. She also had on black suede boots that were two inches above her ankles. Her hair was down, she wore a black leather jacket and the rest of her was all leg and a show of her stomach. 

Joey's smile widened, "Wait till everyone else finds out you're here!"

Serenity clapped her hands together, "Oh, I forgot that your friends are coming. I'll finally be able to meet your friends that you made while I was away!" 

Joey laughed, "Yup. And you finally can meet Yugi." 

"Wait," Mai raised a brow, "Everyone's coming _here_?"

Joey nodded, "Yeah, Yugi, you probably already know, he's the top duelist in the world. Tea is in school to pursue professional dancer and Tristan is also in school in New York and Bakura's in an expedition in Egypt with some professors and his dad.

"Wow," Mai smiled, "I see everyone is doing fine."

Serenity looked at her watch, "Look, I gotta go." She then looked at Mai, "Sorry but I've got work."

Mai laughed, "It's alright. I can take it from here."

"Great!" Serenity waved as she walked out. She ran back in, threw her arms around her brother, "And Mai, while you're at it. Keep my brother outta trouble." 

Joey smiled sheepishly, "Aw, get outta here!" Before Serenity left, she kissed her brother on the top of his head. 

Joey looked at Mai and put his hand behind his head, his usual gesture of being tongue-tied. 

"So you do have a soft spot somewhere in you," Mai teased. 

Joey grinned, "Come on, I'll help you with the rest of your stuff."

Mai looked around at the apartment. The living room had great room and there was a sliding glass door that led to a balcony and since it was daylight out, it was opened to let a cool breeze in. It was springtime, the time for cleaning and all.

Joey took a white beater shirt from off one chair and put it on, "Come on." He said, "I'll show you around."

Joey led her to the kitchen which was built like a bar overlooking the living room with stools and a few cups on top of the counter. To Mai's surprise, there were three rooms and not just two. One out of the two was a smaller room that was used as a storage closet for Joey. He told Mai that she could use it for any stuff she might need to be put up for a while. 

There was only one bathroom but it was very luxurious and large. 

Joey's room, Mai ignored it as much as she could. Lord knows _what_ Joey had been up to in this room with any girl. Mai's room was just as big as Joey's and a large window with a closet bigger than a car.

"This place is great!" Mai exclaimed.

"Yeah," Joey laughed, "I thought so too."

Next, for an hour or so, Mai and Joey lifted, carried, and moved Mai's things into her room.

It was finally noon and they sat on separate couches sprawled out and tired. 

"Mai, you really know what to pack. Some of those boxes feels like you packed four department stores all in one."

"Funny, Joey Wheeler." Mai scowled, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She smiled, "I'll help.

"Oh?" Joey grinned, "Mai the beauty is going to help Joey the Loser?"

Mai bent down to pick a box up so that her hair fell across her face so Joey wouldn't see her unexpected blush. "Sorry about that Wheeler. But take it from me, you are." She looked up at him, who just stood there and laughed.

"There ain't anything that makes your day when a beautiful girl tells you you're a loser."

Mai grinned, "You've grown up, Wheeler. You really have."

Joey blinked and slowly smiled warmly. "Thanks Mai. It's nice to know."

Mai nodded.

"She's so nice!" Serenity told Tristan.

"Mai?" Tristan groaned, "Mai is _not_ nice. She almost had Joey for dinner during the Duelist Kingdom!"

Serenity sighed and twirled her red-brown hair behind her right ear, an indication that she was about to tell Tristan off. 

Tristan threw up his hands, "Just kidding!"

Serenity shook her head, "Look, the Mai I know is fun, beautiful and honest. If I think she's okay, than trust me on this, would you?"

Serenity sat in the living room of Tea's apartment with a large window overlooking the sea where they could see a dock, which was lighted by the streetlamp in the night. 

Tristan didn't want to anger Serenity because secretly he'd been in love with her for a long while. Tristan looked at Serenity and smiled. She had crystal blue eyes that were always warm, long rust-red hair that she crazily cut when she was eighteen but grew it back so that it reached the bottom of her back

"I always thought Mai was a good person," Tea exclaimed walking from the kitchen with two glasses of water in her hands. 

As she handed one to Tristan he looked at her and said, "You're no help."

Tea laughed and winked at Tristan, "Sorry." She said.

Serenity gave them both a confused look but she shook her head to dismiss it.

Tristan sat blushing and Tea sat choking back giggles. 

There was knock at the door and Tea stood up to answer it. She opened the door to reveal a grinning Joey with a still beautiful Mai behind him.

"Hey there beautiful!" Joey kissed Tea smack on the mouth, nothing unusual to Tea. 

"How come Joey always gets away with kisses like that, huh Tea?" Tristan shouted out from the living room.

Tea broke from the kiss to answer, "Because he's cuter." 

Joey grinned, "What can I say? I'm a stud."

Mai laughed, "Right, and like I'm not gorgeous. Joey Wheeler, get a life!"

"Well, I did bring her these," Joey pulled out flowers as if he grabbed it from the air. "Here you go, Tea."

"Oh, be still my heart," Tea teased.

Mai crossed her arms across her chest, "You're still not a stud."

Tristan let out a hoot from the living room, "You go Mai!" He shouted.

Tea rolled her eyes, "He's just mad because he's getting no love from either me or Serenity."

"True," Serenity teased.

Tea laughed, "Come on in. The neighbors here are nosy."

An hour or two passed and everyone had gotten acquainted and were now on the subject of when Yugi was coming.

"Yugi? Where has he been?" Mai asked.

Tea grinned, "Everywhere."

"I heard he's in Egypt," Tristan exclaimed.

"Again?" Serenity laughed, "That should be his sixtieth trip there."

"Sixty-seven," Tea smiled, "but at the moment he's in Paris."

Serenity, "I really thought I'd get to meet him today. For all these years I haven't seen him or either talked to him."

"Yugi is just always busy," Tristan told Serenity.

Joey grinned, "If it weren't for Yugi and that prize money he won for us, you'd never be able to see."

Serenity nodded, "I know. That's why I've been so anxious to see him."

"And I thank Mai for that second chance she gave me." Joey grinned at the blonde who blinked in surprise.

"Huh?" Mai blinked. 

Joey propped his arm on the backrest of the sofa, "You gave me a bit of hope when you gave me that card to face Bandit Keith when I couldn't find mine. If I did or if I did, I'm going to say it again," Joey said, "Thank you."  Then, Joey smiled.

One of those warm smiles you cant ever forget…

All Mai could do was blush, Tea and Tristan just sat there thinking nothing out of it, and Serenity raised a brow. 

Mai quickly regained her color and beamed, "No problem," she said as she gazed into Joey's eyes.

"No problem…" 


End file.
